The Human condition
by PinkPanther9.7
Summary: Cyclonis has found some way to enter sodor and has been using a new crystal to transport unsuspecting engines to Atmos. The side effects are being turned intirely human. But trains find its a lot harder to walk on legs than on wheels.
1. What it means to be human

The Human condition

Chapter one: What it means to be human

It was night on the isle of sodor, but the air was still. A hooded figure stood on the hill over looking the busy rails. Steam billowed up into the sky as she pulled out a staff. She saw two engines pulling a long goods train. She may need a railroad of her own to transport talons across Cyclonian territory. Talons were stupid and ineffective. Well the pre- rebellion talons were formidable.

She looked over at the trains, she needed them for her new Talon forces. she also figured that great big trains may be a little to obvious on Atmos. Well not with the Metamorphinga crystal. She got it from gonstaff for this mission. She slowly stepped down the hill and closer to the rails. She looked at the shed in front of her coolly, it was a battered old shed with permanent red smog and nasty claws dangling around the cielings.

It looked like Cyclonia to her, it did not daunt her in the slightest, Piper would be petrified. The cloaked girl scoffed at that thought. She entered balancing on the metal rails. She looked around, it was thick with smog, It is difficult to see anything.

The rails rattled as a Engine appeared from the smog. It was a olive and yellow class 08 diesel shunter. Suprisingly there were two of them. She readeied her staff as they charged forward. She waved it and there was a resounding bang as a purple flash shot up into the sky. When the flash dimmed the Trains were gone.

--

It felt like they were being torn apart and slowly melted down and sewn back together, their wheels turned to protrusions and they had what felt like feathers landing on their roofs, it was soft then wound up like molten metal splashed on them. Then darkness. They woke a few minutes later to them in a bed, it was white and rough against their bodies. They had slowly opened their eyes and saw a blurry outline of a overhead fan spinning lazily. The bright light made their eyes sting and them have a bout of nausea.

Several times the two engines opened and closed their eyes. But still the fan didn't come into focus. one rolled off the bed and onto the unrelenting cold of the tiled floor.

" 'Arry?" One of them asked. 'Arry looked up from the floor. He couldn't move a inch. His heart sank as his vision cleared up a tad letting him see his brother. He screeched silently as a human bert came into focus. Bert screeched into his covers as he saw 'Arry, oh boy this was scary. They are human! without a clu on how to be like one.

Bert raised his arms to his face and stared at the four pink digits and thumb wriggle some what mockingly back at him. He then with some difficulty on maneuvering his new appendages looked at the rest of him. He was shocked and repulsed at what he saw. He had pink squidgy stuff all over what used to be his chassis. He saw that he had legs as well as arms. It was curious and disgusting.

'Arry struggled to get up as he too noticed these oddities, he staggered and fell onto the floor once more. He felt pain shoot up and down his legs as he hit the floor. 'Arrry silently cursed the whole thing to the smelters yard, there was a quite a few words being thrown in. Steamies was the most used one.

"Whats happened to us?" Bert asked horrified as he shut his eyes.

"How should I know Bert! I am not omniscient I don't know the universe!" 'Arry snapped looking annoyed.

'Arry knew something went wrong and now they were stuck as human. It was horrifying, their bodies looked human but their minds were those of the train kind and they only know about how to be trains.

The doctors checked the data base for the twins that landed on the Terra. They were classifed as John Doe since they don't have names, but when the atmosian doctors found them they were naked and unconcsious. Now that they thought about it why would two kids be lying on the stone streets in the pouring rain? That is something that may not worth the trouble of knowing. They may regret it.

---

On sodor things were not going well several engines disappeared, the narrow gauge engines disappeared and the Quarry was missing one engine, Mavis. No one noticed that most of the Diesels were missing. Thomas was someone who knew better. He was awake last night and he saw a purple flash coming from the smelters. Toby was concerned, there has not been a honk of a horn around the iron works for a while. Diesel 10 has not been lurking around recently either. Percy has not been back since his job with salty hauling fish.

"What the devil is keeping Percy?" Snapped James irritably. Toby rolled his eyes.

"The trucks maybe?" Emily peeped, looking on the horizon, she saw a purple light flash in the distance. "Um boys did you see what I just saw?"

The light dimmed and the trucks were all thats left, the staff rose into the air and the girl vanished.

--

'Arry and Bert after much struggling managed to stagger out of the hospital and down the steps, they had no clothes on. Apparently they don't dress their patients. The cold damp breeze hit their bodies chilling them to the core. As Trains they had engines that generated heat thats what made them warm as fresh oil. But now, now that they are squishy and pink they are freezing. Not only that they were vunerable to injiry.

The puddles felt strange beneith 'Arry's feet as he staggered across the street, he was slowly but surely figuring out how to use his new appendages. They were not like wheels, they were long and had didgets at the ends of them. Bert was gripping his shoulders painfully as they walked as though they had bound feet.

Being human wasn't as easy as Their drivers said as they read animorphs novels to them and Diesel, D10 and Bowler. Bert now believed them. They slipped and landed in the fountain just as a female landed on top of Bert.


	2. Master Cyclonis's folly pt1

The human condition

2. Master Cyclonis's folly pt 1

Somewhere near Cyclonia Dark Ace made his rounds as usual, but now he noticed two shapes under him while he flew it appears to be two men on terra Uzatriz. The terra was barren and has no life on it. Considering what kind of terra it is, Dark Ace was mildly intrigued.

His expression turned into one of utmost bemusement, not only were they out of place but they also lack clothing. He soothed his twitching eye and beckoned his patrol to take them back to Cyclonia.

Master Cyclonis stood, her head was covered in a hood as she was fixing up her crystal, and soon the throne room doors opened as two talons dragged in the mysterious people. Her eyes brightened up sinisterly.

"It seems my crystal does not only teleport but it is also a morphisizer. We have here the fruits of the long days of hard work undertaken by me." She spoke her voice cold and dark.

"What do you have in mind Master Cyclonis?" Dark ace asked, looking at her intently. Cyclonis walked towards the two people lying face down on the flagstone floor. She picked up a crystal and placed it on the brown haired man on the right.

"Awaken." She ordered, as the talons hoisted him to his feet.

"Where am I, this is not Knapford sheds." He said shaking away a wave of nausea, he looked down at himself, in mute horror he realised he was human.

"Unless you want to stay in the dungeon tell me, who are you?" Master Cyclonis asked eerily calm.

"Toby, I am from the North Western Railway and-" Toby began but was cut off by a hand clamping over his mouth. Cyclonis eyed him closely. She shook her head.

"You do not have the makings of a Talon; you are defiantly not a Storm Hawk. But what will I do with you?" She pondered. She noticed out of the corner of her eye at the other one. She then looked at Toby.

"However, you may join the Talon squad." She said finally. "As for your friend … he may be of some use to the Cyclonian Empire."

"First of all lady, he is not my friend, secondly you are heading for trouble." Toby Warned as he was lead out by the Talons.

Cyclonis shook her head before turning to the remaining stranger. She used her staff to prod him in the back seeing as her wakefulness crystal was used up. She poked again a little harder this time.

"Who ever is biffing me stop it right now or I'll set Pinchy on you!" He snapped opening his eyes, he looked up at Cyclonis.

"You will not set this pinchy on me the master of Cyclonia." Cyclonis snapped as she brought him up to eye level, with her staff crystal.

"What the hell?!" He growled, struggling but it did not waver for an instant. Cyclonis smirked as she dropped him.

"Now you are going to do as I tell you, you belong to Cyclonia."

"No I don't." He retorted back.

"Look here you stupid boy, I am the Master here not you!" She snapped her face inches from his.

"I have a name you know, I am not a boy and I am not stupid." He shot back.

"Is that so? I'd love to hear it." She replied sarcastically.

"Diesel 10 and I dislike you." D10 replied to her sarcasm with renewed gruff attitude. Cyclonis locked her violet eyes with his cold dark ones.

"I have you in my eyes." She growled.

"No, I have you mine." D10 shot back, staring her down.

"Put him with Toby until I find the right use for him." She spat at a few Talons, who dragged him off at the double to the dungeons. Toby looked up as they threw his companion in with him.

"Well, this is your fault, you silly diesel!" Toby hissed.

"No way Teapot, if anything' it is Fatty controller's fault." D10 retorted

"Do not blame Sir Topham Hatt!" Toby yelled, despite being cold and damp was able to get into Diesel's face.

"Then stop blaming me for accidents like this, tin kettle!" D10 yelled right back.

"Stop calling me Tea pot, tin kettle or puff ball!" Toby yelled louder.

"Then stop assuming I smell bad coz I am a diesel!" D10.

"I never said that."

"Bullshit, that's a lie, you are lying Tram." D10 snorted, pointing a finger at Toby.

"Fine! That was a lie but still, you do billow out black smoke from your exhaust ." Toby relented slightly calmer now.

"I guess, but there is something we can agree on though." D10 said, sitting next to Toby.

"And, what's that?"

"Those Electric engines are big trouble."

"True, the old tram way shut down due to electric trams being popular." Toby snorted, remembering a comment Sir Topham Hatt's youngsters had made. "Really, is it Electric? What a stupid question."

"Yeah, same happened to the rail line I was on, over head wires and Pinchy are not a good combination."

"Your claw got tangled on an over head pylon?" Toby snickered.

"'snot funny teapot, it frocking hurt. They should have damn signs saying: 'warning floating wires!' " D10 snarled, the incident hurt his pride more than his internals. Splatter and Dodge certainly had a good laugh about it.

"I am sure it did." Toby replied, shifting as he tried sitting in a position where his bare skin is not touching the damp floor.

"I told Splodge that one day I am going to look back on this day and laugh. You know what? I was right."

Toby let the silence spiral uncomfortably, neither wanted to talk or start a conversation. The fact is that they are in a dark cell in the unknown.

"What's that girl up to anyway?" Toby asked finally.

"I wonder what would happen if someone was to say … Take over."

Toby looked over bemused; he shook it off because the last take over -insert name of place here-plot backfired. The fact that Diesel is being nice was suspicious.

"Take over Diesel? Does the words viaduct sludge and humiliation mean anything to you?"

"Humph, I made a teeny miscalculation on the fact that that blue puff-uh engine was there the first time."

"Good thing too otherwise the terms doomed and we are would apply not in that order."

"Such pessimism for an old coot, not surprisingly topham Hatt brought you to sodor."

"Age before sheer strength," Toby Lectured.

"Alright smarty boiler I get it," Diesel retorted.

Several Talons walked down the hall, they carried talon uniforms, and they unlocked the cell and threw them in.

"General Ravess will be along shortly, put these on, and for future reference is to be obedient when she tells you an order unless you want to be impaled by a violin bow." The talon droned.

Toby stared at the uniform and tried to put it on it wasn't so hard, Diesel had a hard time fitting into his own uniform. Pinchy cannot and would not fit through the right sleeve and he also tried jamming both legs into one leg.

Toby after much trial and error put his clothes on; Diesel not long after gave up and tore the sleeves off his uniform in temper.

"These things are weird they are sticking to my body." Diesel remarked yanking the collar.

"Thanks for the announcement captain obvious." Snarked Toby.

"Your welcome tea pot." Diesel chimed greasily, ruffling his already messy black hair.

Toby was about to snap at him, for missing the point of what he just said they both heard a violin being played as the door opened down the corridor.

Ravess walked down flanked by snipe her less than intelligent brother. She opened the door and Snipe pushed in first pointing his mace at Toby.

"Snipe choose brown haired boy!" He rumbled, gripping poor Toby by his wrist and dragging him off.

"Bust my Buffers!"

Ravess was left with Diesel 10, who was glaring at her, she glared back at him, she marched over and tangled her fingers into his hair and pulled … hard.

"Listen to me, and listen well. I will not stand for any back talking from you or your accomplice so you will do well to follow my orders." She commanded staring right into his eyes.

"Yes Ma'am." He replied in an oily voice, eyes watering slightly as she was pulling his head back. She let go and marched off. Diesel shrugged and followed behind. A truly evil plan was hatching in his mind, a small cruel smirk formed on his lips.

He was going to play the obedient soldier for now and once he gets enough followers, he'll put his plan into motion.

But right now, he was to deal with his current situation.

--

Cyclonis sat on her throne, her fingers steeples together, she was thinking about what kind of advantage this might be against the storm hawks. True having new and stronger Talon's in her forces may make Cyclonis someone to be taken seriously.

On the other hand, was it a good move to add in Trains who have absolutely no idea on how to act human?

These questions and all the answers that her mind justifying her actions made her uneasy something about that dark haired man made her feel uneasy. Dark Ace was kneeling in front of her awaiting orders.

"Dark Ace." She commanded finally, looking at her right hand man.

"Yes master Cyclonis?" He asked looking up at her.

"I want you to keep an eye on the new talons, kill them if they try anything funny." She ordered.

Dark Ace bowed once and left to find the talon training field, he watched from above as Ravess and Snipe drilled the talons.


	3. Master Cyclonis’s folly pt 2

The human condition

2. Master Cyclonis's folly pt 2

The training was at first rocky, tempers ran high as the other talons glared at Toby. It shouldn't be that hard on twirling a stick around. Well obviously trains never tried.

Several talons scattered as a staff ricocheted across the field and hit a poor hapless talon in the face. Ravess face palmed at the amount of incompetence today, she finally realized that the bad idea of bringing the strangers here was a really bad idea. No worse than usual, she spent an hour trying to teach them simple combat by facing them against her elite talons.

Let us say the fight was not pretty. Talons were surrounding them; Toby twirled his staff a little awkwardly. Dark Ace stared, where these her new talons? They certainly did not act like it. Unless, he made it more interesting, he leaped and landed in the middle of the ring of Talons. Both Toby and Diesel 10 were now face to face with the Dark Ace and his two bladed energy sword.

"That's certainly not a sword, well not from what I am used to." Toby remarked, pointing at Dark Ace.

"If ya squint it looks like a tuning fork." Diesel replied squinting a little.

Dark Ace's eye twitched, the only one that made fun of his sword was Aerrow. He gritted his teeth. He held up his sword at them.

"Permit me to give you a close up then." He said, charging it up and unleashing a blast at Toby, who ducked a second before it hit him. A talon got the brunt of the blow, killing him almost instantly.

"Wow, close shave tram face." Diesel 10 mocked, ducking a blast aimed at him.

"Stop calling me that!" Toby remarked poking his head up from a boulder

Dark Ace shot at the boulder destroying it. This left both engine turned human out in the open.

"There you are come and fight me, like real talons."

Both Toby and Diesel 10 split and ran in different directions, this caught Ace off guard, he recovered quickly enough to blast at Toby.

"Ayah, Heeelp!" He yelled as he was thrown into the air by a blast and landed with a crack on the floor.

--

Inside Muffle Mountain Lady's eyes shot open as she flew out of her sleep at the moment Toby hit the floor. She wheeshed steam. Brunette stone woke from his TV induced torpor and looked at her.

"Lady, what's wrong it looks like you seen Diesel?"

"Yes, but I also saw many of Sodor engines … they are like you, human and in trouble." She said, trying to calm her rattling boiler plates. She needed to tell Thomas right away.

Speaking of the gallant blue tank engine, he was at Brandam docks, he noticed Cranky looking as cranky as ever.

"Are you annoyed about Salty's stories again?" Thomas peeped, looking up at the crane.

"No, he hasn't been lurking around, not since yesterday; the humans were looking' for him and Mavis." Cranky grouched.

Thomas's eyes shot up looking at Cranky intently. "What do you mean can't find Mavis?" He asked more seriously.

"I mean silly engine, she was supposed to bring rocks in from the Quarry. She disappeared en route just north of here, that's what the little saddle tank twins been saying." Cranky replied snappily.

"Incidentally none of the engines noticed the big menace around either."

Cranky looked down at Thomas, "I heard he hasn't been seen since yesterday afternoon, the same time-"

Rosie chugged into the docks, she was with Fergus, and he was supposed to be collected this morning.

"This is getting really strange; the numbers of engines are decreasing rapidly. Nobody knows why." Fergus shivered he looked and saw the docks virtually empty. As of to make matters even worse Sir Toppam Hatt arrived on the scene, he looked more worried than angry. He had calls from yard managers, about the troubling situation.

"Thomas, we need to keep the railway going, I am afraid that if the situation deteriorates we may have to shut down the rail line for good."

Fergus, Rosy and Thomas stared at each other. They puffed away, Thomas was headed to the old Grotto, and he was going to tell Lady about it. This was getting creepy, sine when did engines vanish like that/

Thomas entered the Grotto's magic buffers; she may know what's going on. Hopefully she can tell him how to stop it.

Lady was a magic engine, her magic kept the Sodor Island together; she was the first engine to pop into his head. Incidentally he found himself thinking about her all the while he chugged down the magical rails.

"Hold on Thomas, what if he isn't responsible? I mean, you are assuming diesel 10 is responsible for this strangeness." Rosie chimed in, now side by side with Thomas. He was surprised, Thomas obliviously but automatically believed him responsible.

"Rosie, you wouldn't believe the chaos he caused on Sodor." Thomas reasoned.

"You still asked for his help, when the water tower collapsed Thomas." Rosie snapped.

They finally reached Shining time station, Thomas was now determined to find lady; she must have the answers to this. There was no way in this life time that the end of Sodor will happen.

Ironically, he didn't get far until, he saw Lady. She was being surrounded by children; apparently it was an open day for Steam engine gala. Thomas chuffed beside Lady.

"Good afternoon Lady." Thomas peeped in greeting.

"Same to you Thomas," Lady replied back whistling her whistle.

"Lady, this is Rosie she wanted to come too." Rosie peeped in greeting and she quickly was surrounded with curious children.

"But what we wanted to know, have you run into trouble here." Thomas asked. Lady knew who he was referring to.

"I saw him alright." She replied, her face betraying her horror. Something is upsetting the nature of the magic more so than the great gold dust escapade.

"Did he attack you?"

"No. But, he is well … See those humans standing over there. Let us just say he isn't an engine anymore."

Rosie looked over at lady as though she was crazy. "Rubbish, how can a gigantic engine become as small as a human?" She asked. Thomas frowned slightly, the mystery got creepier and creepier.

---

Dark Ace blew craters into the field, Toby was still unconscious and Diesel was peeking out from behind a rock. Ravess was now entertained, simply because her new Talon was being forced into a battle instead of the conventional method.

Diesel 10 sat behind the rock, who knew a tuning fork can be so threatening.

"Now that is a horrid thought, Humans welding forks as weapons." He muttered.

_Says the engine who thought sugar was terrifying. _A snide little voice echoed in his head, Diesel peered over the rock only to be blasted into a tree.

"Ow! So, this is what pain feels like." Diesel blithered dazed. Crimson streaks oozed from the corners of his mouth.

Toby stirred, he couldn't move and he was reeling with the sensation of pain in his head. As a tram he didn't feel or know about pain, but now it hit him with a force of a thirty truck freight train hitting you at full pelt from behind. Toby was paralysed with the pain. If he lives, he will now hold the humans on the railway with high regards.

Dark Ace grabbed Diesel by his collar and slammed him against the tree. The red glow of the sword illuminated their faces.

"Now, the rules of combat are no rules and if you win, you live. If not you die." Dark Ace whispered sardonically.

"So if that's the case, I refuse to loose to a human." He said swinging his right arm forward catching Ace off guard and off balance.

Ace went skidding back a few feet, his face bruised. He staggered to his feet. Toby looked up his face covered in cuts and bruises.

Dark Ace glared, as I got into a fighting stance. The air blew the grass blades.


	4. Clash!

The human condition

4. Clash!

Dark ace stared down his opponent, Diesel 10 glared back, Pinchy snapping ominously at Ace, Toby managed to get onto his feet again. He grabbed his staff that he misplaced earlier in the training and shot a hapless talon with it.

Toby stared at the crystal in the staff and stared, he just figured out how to blast a striker crystal. The air was still and the silence was deafening. Neither Diesel nor Ace wanted to inflict the first strike; they were figuring how to avoid each others weapons.

Dark Ace would do well to avoid getting an arm caught in Diesel's claw, and Diesel would make it a priority to not get struck by the twin bladed tuning fork either.

Toby looked at the ground a puddle of water betrayed his face, he saw that his forehead and nose was grazed and the crimson liquid oozed down his face and onto the grass with a swift plip. Toby looked at the red splotch with muted horror, it was coming from him.

"So this is what pain and blood feels like." Toby whispered. He had not noticed someone fly into the ground. Toby stared at Dark Ace, who was busy collecting himself of the ground. Diesel 10 slapped Dark Ace across the face with his claw. Diesel however was not without a large gash across his left shoulder.

Cyclonis was watching from her balcony, she knew that she had been planning this for a long time, she wanted this. But why did Toby's travelling companion become so fascinating all of the sudden?

Was it because he looked useful for her cause?

No.

She wanted him on a personal level.

--

Lady for the up tenth time explained her dream to Rosie, it was not that she was stupid, just unable to believe that several Sodor Engines are now human.

"Rosie I am not prepared to repeat what I said again," Lady sighed, Thomas looked at the yonder sun set and the things Lady had told him about the troubling situation.

"Lady, what will happen to them?" He asked, already imagining them in all doomed situations.

"Thomas, you have to understand. Not all situations can be solved with gold dust, their futures are uncertain." She replied grimly.

Rosie was surprised; she thought the magical engine could solve everything. She also wanted to ask Mavis a question that would be important between girls anyway. Speaking of the boys she wanted to ask Diesel 10 if he had a brother just as horrible as him.

Lady stared into the setting sun, since this is a supernatural occurrence, she must do what she can to help out, even if she has to face her old best enemy. Lady was so caught up in her day dream she didn't notice that she was going into a trance state; this was due to being stuck in the mountains. She retained this power. She could see a red mist before she returned to her conscious mind again.

"Lady, Lady!" Thomas called to her seeing her in some form of shock.

"Thomas, there is a mountain with red clouds that is where they are, a human with a tuning fork is menacing Toby and Diesel." She said, Rosie peeped loudly.

"That must be a battle of the lifetime." She said.

"They are going to get killed; there is no way that they can avoid that thing forever!" Lady snapped looking irritated. Thomas looked between the two and decided to defuse the situation.

"Don't forget, there are more sodor engines lost." Thomas butted in. "'Arry, Bert, Percy, Mavis and Salty." Thomas added solemnly.

---

Mavis, woke up she was cold and wet, she squinted into the sunlight, she noticed a blonde man looking at her. She blinked and tried to get up, she couldn't her whole body hurt. It felt like she was caught in the great Farquar landslide in the past, where an Engine was crushed under the rocks.

"Aerrow, come look at this!" The blonde shouted.

"Finn what is ….. it." He trailed off as he spotted the three humans in the fountain.

A red head appeared in her blurry field of vision, Aerrow looked at her and the two youngsters under her, and he held his hand out to her. Mavis stared at him; she shifted her limbs and put her hand into his.

"What's a chick like you doing way out here?" Finn asked, leering at her.

"A chicken, why do you call me a chicken?" She asked bewildered as Aerrow pulled her up onto her feet. She noticed that she felt a cold cramp in her wheels …. No feet, she looked at her feet which wiggled back at her.

"It looks like this chick has a few screws loose man." Finn muttered to Aerrow only to receive a elbow in the ribs.

"We should take them back to the condor, just to be sure that they are not wounded." Aerrow whispered to Finn. Aerrow put his hand out towards Mavis. "Come on, we need to get you warm." He said pulling her towards his skimmer.

The air felt cool and fresh, Mavis looked at the buildings from her spot behind Aerrow. She was thrilled with adrenalin. Finn was speeding infront of them, 'Arry and Bert were screaming, she giggled but she noticed that they were over clouds, she felt uneasy.

The condor was in sight.

--

Cyclonis saw the fight escalate further the grass tainted with blood and shards of crystal scattered everyware Dark Ace glared coldly holding his sword high, Toby watched as the sword flew down inches from his head. It was punched aside.

"I am your opponent, not this tin kettle." Diesel snapped kicking Ace in the stomach Knocking the wind out of him, pushing him back.

"Diesel stop calling me that!" Groaned Toby as the ground vibrated and there stood Master Cyclonis.

"Uh oh."


	5. sparkly star dust

The human condition

First and last Disclaimer: I do not own Thomas he is owned by Hit. I also do not own Vincent or Indiana or potterworth sheds they belong to KD497. I do own Heron the Diesel though.

this isn't the best chapter ever. But its all I can come up with.

sorry.

---

5. Stardust and Sparkly lights -- seizure inducing, holy _shit_ – pt 1

In the mainland area, engines zip all over the line delivering goods. A yellowish copper coloured diesel stood near the siding looking peeved about something, what he was so peeved about no one knew. He beeped his horn irritably at the bees in the garden pot in the station. It was bad enough that he was stuck in the siding. His pistons broke and now he is stuck. When annoyed he does swear a lot.

"God, if only my bloody driver sent me to the works! Instead, he dumped me out here – with Bees for company." He groused frowning. "I mean what next? Scrap yards!"

He glared at a butterfly that landed on his nose, he went all cross eyed, he heard a toot and the mail train went by.

"2pm right on time." He mused to himself still a butterfly's rest zone. He had been stuck here for several weeks, he had seen several bees swarm on him and there is a yellow jacket nest in his cab.

He ground his teeth in frustration as several more engines zip by; he knew they were laughing at him. He had grown used to having trucks tease him all week every week since he broke down.

"Poor ol' Heron blind as a bat, didn't see the buffers coming right for him, pop goes ol' dingy Heron. Stuck all week with buzzy things for company" They sang, Heron rolled his eye, this was quite old. He snapped his claw free of blue tits nesting in it.

"That doesn't rhyme … idiots." He grumbled.

Heron blew air out of his nostrils in annoyance; the trucks were surging back and forth biffing him, all he had to do was wait till night time then he'll go to Potterworth sheds to make noise and eavesdrop on the controller.

Soon some one appeared with a bake down train, he beeped in greeting, but there was no toot in reply. Heron knew who it was.

"Grouchy ain't we?" Heron asked with blunt subtlety. The engine wished steam as the points were changed and he was buffered up.

"Oh shut up oil breath." The engine snapped, chugging along the rails.

"Lighten up Vince, its not like you have to haul diesels all the time." Heron replied only to get a biff in response.

"You are just as irritating as Arrow, you know that don'tcha?" He spat giving Heron a biff for good measure.

"Well I don't push irritating Diesels off the bloody mountain either." Heron replied coldly.

"How the hell did you know-?" Vince asked suspiciously, "I wouldn't put it past ya." He muttered.

"Word spreads fast Vince, same with me arriving all the engines knew before I arrived at the station." Heron interrupted.

Vincent did not grace him with an answer they were coming into potterworth now, Heron snapped his claw as bees started swarming around it.

Yards men swarmed the area several of them got a shunter to move him into a shed given to the yellow jackets in his cab.

Vincent chugged away leaving the now quiet yard, there was a smattering of nasty comments here and there. Such as 'Dingy,' 'Oil guzzler,' and 'Stupid'.

Heron is still alone as usual and still without repairs, he glared around the shed. This will most likely be his shed now.

"Heh, I am near other engines, I got some place dry to sleep in and besides I can still hear what's goin' on at the shed." He thought positively. Usually he is parked in a siding en route to the logging plant.

_~bzzt~_

"Yes I know that I am still as isolated as … why am I even talking to you? You are just wasps."

Heron looked out side it was nearing nightfall soon he can become a yards person like the drivers and sneak into the shed. He never usually gets found out. He was certain the engines knew he was more than certain, he 100% certain they knew.

In Potterworth sheds the engines and their drivers were settling down for their sleepy time. Several engines made sure to make themselves heard before recharge.

"Whats the difference between that Dingy Diesel and coal head?"

"We dunno what?" Said the engines apart from Indiana who exhaled air through his nose in a –the same thing as usual- manner.

"Coal head doesn't smell as bad."

Indi's driver looked shocked.

The door opened due to the sharp breeze that picked up suddenly. There was a slight electrical tinge to the air. The storm clouds from earlier in the day, started to activate. Rain hit the shed and lightning flashed. Standing in the doorway was a sodden young adolescent with bright copper hair and blue dungarees over a gray t shirt.

"Its raining so hard out there seems like someone forgot to turn off the bloody tap." He said, his smile masking his annoyance at the weather.

"Come in and set a while." Said Indi's driver, shifting to make room for him strangely enough when the fireman got up to close the shed he saw the shed Heron was in empty. He shook his head thinking that he was sent to be repaired.

"What's with the orange hair?" One driver asked.

"Don't ask me you bloody Hu … I mean … Don't ask me ask my parents." He snapped correcting himself of his mistake. Heron was a train turned human a long time ago. he sort of lived as a human from child hood to early teens.

"Ginge, lets call you ginge."

"Call me ginge or ginger again and I will make it a priority to crush you under my wheels." Heron spat, pointing at one of the drivers.

"Wheels?"

"Oh bugger, I mean I'll use my engine to crush them." He replied smiling sheepishly. Indi was suspicious he had always been suspicious for different reasons.

Soon the drivers went home leaving the engines to their own devices, Heron sat on a buffer scratching his head. He decided to stay till sun rise.

"Before you ask, no I didn't have an accident it was Retinoblastoma in my left eye and I had a run in with a blow torch on my left ear …. I think." Heron shrugged as he opened the door leading into the shed he was in and the door slammed shut at the sheds.

"Holy – holy cow that human was weird, thinking he was a freaking train. Hey flat funnel you and Carrot top could get along swimmingly." One of the big engines taunted.

Indiana said nothing, one more insult added to the list of insults, At least Heron tries being nice. Indi doesn't trust him as far as he can biff him, he could be like all the rest if given the chance.

"There was nothing wrong with that engine." He muttered.

--

Sparkly lights -- seizure inducing, holy _shit_ – appeared where Vincent was chugging down the line, the swirls gave way to cloudy skies and skimmers, and he was pulled in no matter how much he pumped his brakes he was now plummeting towards Terra Amazonia.

His whole body felt like it was being melted down and recast three times over as his body turned to flesh and bone. He landed with a crash through the trees and into the shrubbery.

"What the fuck is goin' on!" Vincent snapped as he pulled leaves out of his hair, he looked at the tree line, he was in a foul mood and the silence was taunting him. There was no one there to answer, he got up and using the trees he walked to the edge of the terra. He stopped as he stared down at the clouds below, there were clear patches were the wastelands can bee seen.

This makes the perils peak drop look like a small hill. The slow moving magma welts glew in the murk within the waste lands. Something moved within a giant glowing worm.

"Oh god, this is just a dream. There are no such things as floating islands without any tracks." Vincent muttered darkly as he sat on the edge head in hand glaring at the horizon.

"At least I won't be bothered by stupid Diesels with stupid questions."

---

Heron changed back as he wandered into his shed; very soon he was a grubby diesel again who cannot see five feet from his face and a knackered engine. It was a miracle he could still be considered useful.

He was powerful but despite this attribute he was not quite all there.

"What will Diesel 10 think about this; I know he'll say Heron you stupid idiot," He mused to himself, listening to wasps come and go.

"I'll just sleep and listen to that irritating buzzing!" He said, voice increasing its volume with each word. The buzzing only gets louder. "Bloody hell," He added in defeat.

Heron growled to him self as he snapped his claw in irritation as the shed filled with wasps; this was not what a nice run en route to the logging plant should be like. Instead he will get from A to B without foul ups, he'll collect logs and take them to the stations for another engine to take to the harbour then go to the smelter yard. He looked on the bright side at least he can menace the steam engines with wasps.

"Next they will be calling me ol' yellow jacket diesel." Heron muttered. he has a habit of talking to himself, even when he was on Sodor.

At least he can enjoy a good lie in tomorrow. It'll be a miracle if he ever gets repaired. That's what made him so annoyed recently. All the attention was showered on the steam engines rather than him.

He doesn't care as much as he should have; he unlike his brother Diesel 10 holds Steam engines in high regard. Even if they wind him up and taunt him every day.

~loud buzzing~

"Oh shut up an' go to sleep." Heron said shutting his eyes as the sky lit up with lightning. "Bloody wasps," He added, sleepily.


End file.
